Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-08-02
RURAL LIVE

MtN nlLfA We Dear tle 4lfeslAA thAtA
''io,s flfmins pAyf' aud then The answer
i attempted, with varying success. The
fact of 10 L.. ilcrc are some questions that
ar NOT % tc solved by a mathematical
calcuisiloa. We heari a preacher once
labor fjr an houf In unteriakl-g 20 give
ne mes.ursmeuts Of heaven aus - sxtci
location. Bot hc WAS dealing wlia a sub
lee, mighusr than the kecncsi analysis
couli ngurc oat In dealing with The
dclgAts % rural lie We cannot compnte
The health. coutsntmeut ard comfort u
hr.rg-. While upon The hlisldcs OF New
EngiAri the prospect Of amas.lrg wealth
by The cultivation % The soil may not be -
encouraging A. the watering Of stock on
Wal street. YET who thinks In casting up
The tccc unt - take into The reckoning ihe
comforts % that same home h'e. The Joy
~ bounding health, The cOutcnimcui that
pcAcc And plenty briagl The method of
l.gc most conducive 10 wcli.bcing j. not
aisays found Ia the cltlss. 1hc boy
brol.hi up on the farm II spi - sec only
ihc constant Toll, The limited pccaaiary
r,iurns. ard too oftsn Tie marrow Intel.
ltctuAi l'c. tui lack of genial compAnions.
rs knoNicige OF city lie Is al heAf.saY,
ani when he actually tries II he fnts 10 la
almost every case more la5ofiOus, more
c0rfnin.. AMI morr fraught with evil cuu-
sequences. O body and mind than that
whica be lsn. Farm work is hard, no
dOuhi, but Ia 70 really any easier or health
irr % slt bthili a desk Ten hOufs tay en-.
gagged la clerical itooFi Are The comforts
ala colvCnlencCs of chcsp Cliy boarding
houses any lmprovemen, upon ihose ~ The
Avcfa-c county homer Are The c0mpan.
ions orc i likely 20 NEE, unicr such cir.
cumsiancss superior 90 those Ot ones
native t0wui
While pkss.ng through asmAn town Ia
Maine. a writer In the Pguilr N-ifHcf
Nlnfiir passed a small house situated
close by The roadside. Everything about
II was shlniess ani f0riOTu aud a more
uulnviilng HOMESTEAD could hardly tc
imagined. Returning the ueXt iay to the
city Ia The midst of period % unusual
hot weather, his business called him to
oue of TIE poorer quarters OF The town.
II would take more ski.fal pen thar Bis,
hc ssys, 20 portray the horrors of teue.
mcrt-houso lfr. nut he could not help
contrasting ihe utter misery aud d@graiA-
ton seen on every hsui, with ths compare
tive comfor. of The lli,lc cabin amDns The
Malice hills. Tae occupant va, doubt
les. POOR, PROBABLY In actual need OF
some og the necessities of lie; but his IT.
tie patch OF ground woali provide him
With sunlcleut food, his family would
grow up In the pure, fresh air, and II he
possessed tie slightest amount oi Industry,
he coali procure by his labor the few
Artlclss Of clothing ard other supplies
needed % support HIN. Beet Of al, per-
hsns. be would be bis own master, sup.
porting hlmsef by bis own Efforts, and
no, depending upon any charitable or
trades union % exc out bis existence, nor
being NJ the beck AM call OF any supetln-
tendsnt OE f0rsman. upon TIE whlm OF
whom his position might depend. There
va, certainly nothing very attractive
about the life Ia this roadside shaniy, bat,
compared with the city tenement house,
II seemed Almos; Ike paradise.
4, Il true there IL always chance 20
succeed Ia business or professional life,
bat II Il = very small one. The million
alrc merchant. the eminent lawyer OF phy-
slclan, are always prominent figures be-
fore the public eye; Dgt the innumeraole
failures are never taken into consideration,
although they exceed the notable success
a hundred - one. II the Industry and
pcrsevcrauce thst most men expend 70 co.
tain an election 10 public ONCE were ar
piled % The cultivation OF the soil, the fc-
suits would leave little 20 oe desired.
The fact must oe admitted tha, Al men
canro. be farmers; the worlds work re-
qulres mechanics, merchants, msnuiActur-
ers, physicians, and perhaps even lawyers I;
bat agriculture must always remain the
calling OF the ma joriiy OF the human race,
and the basis OF all prosperity. nayoung
man has marked taste for any mechari'
cal, mercantile or professional occupation,
IL IL certainly bis right and duty 10 caltl-
yaie II a. fAr as possible, bat the eontin-
ual emigration from country 10 city, In
vague hope OF bettering ones position, Is
greatly 10 be depl0red and Is certain 10 be
productive OF evil only, 10 both individuAl
and community.
No one will probably ever acquire for
tune of many millions by the cultivation
OF the soil; bat Any one can obtain .
comfortable living. with plenty OF food
aud clothing, = good house 10 shelter
them, ani, In addition, make provision FOR
old sge or misfortune. The railroad and
telegraph now supply the most remote
towns with many OF The conyenienees aud
laxurlcs o. city LIE; and With the edues-
t,onAl facilities a. the command or the
poore,t citizen, life In the country may
be - broad and satisfying as one In the
clty.-Mdine Fdrscr.